3. As caterpillars grow, their
exoskeleton becomes tight
on them, so they molt (lose
their old exoskeleton). After
the molt, while the new skin
is still soft, they swallow a lot
of air, which expands their
body. Then, when the cuticle
hardens, they let the air out
and have room for growth.
4. The pupa of a butterfly is called a
chrysalis (derived from the Greek
word for gold). The chrysalis of many
butterflies (like the Nymphalidae and
Satyridae families) are suspended
from a silk pad and abdominal
hooks. Others (like like swallowtails
and sulphurs) also have a silk girdle
supporting their mid-section. About
a day before the adult butterfly
emerges, the chrysalis of many
species (including the monarch)
becomes transparent.
5. Adults can only eat liquid food
through their straw-like proboscis.
Most butterflies only sip flower
nectar, liquids from rotting fruit,
mushy bird dung, and mineral-rich
water from puddles (this activity is
called puddling). Some butterflies
(like the Zebra Longwing) sip pollen.
The Harvester Butterfly sips the
body fluids from woolly aphids using
its proboscis. A few butterflies sip
rotting flesh. A rare few lepidoptera
(like the great silkmoth) cannot eat
at all; they die in about a week,
after mating and reproducing.
